Which is better for the dishwasher: tablets, powder or gel?

Today, having a dishwasher in the house will no longer surprise anyone, since this “home assistant” has long been available to everyone. And there is no point in abandoning it, since it frees users from manual washing of dishes, and also uses water more economically. In order for the machine to wash dishes efficiently and serve for a long time, it is necessary to use only reliable household chemicals, because the efficiency of washing, as well as the safety of household appliances, directly depends on the choice of product. Let's look into modern detergents in order to choose the best tablets, as well as powders and gels.

Auxiliary chemistry is also important

First of all, it should be noted that for a dishwasher you need to use not only dishwashing detergents, but also special regenerating salt, plus rinsing agents. Salt is necessary to soften hard tap water, since salt granules restore the ion exchange resin in the ion exchanger, which is responsible for preventing the formation of plaque on key components of the machine.

If you do not regularly add salt to a special tank, the equipment may fail, so it is better not to forget about the salt granules. Some dishwasher models can themselves remind you to fill the tank using a warning message on the display.

Do not use regular table salt for PMM, as only special salt granules need to be added to the salt bin.

Rinse aid is needed to wash away salt and soap and also to prevent the formation of stains on dishes.This product also gives tableware a bright shine and sometimes a pleasant light aroma. In stores you can find both individual rinses and rinses as part of a universal product. It is acceptable not to use these household chemicals at all during the work cycle, but in this case glasses, glasses and other glassware may look unwashed after the work is completed.

Now let's study directly the detergents for the dishwasher. They differ not only in type, but also in price, efficiency, safety for the equipment, as well as for the user.

Loose detergent

The powder was created before other household chemicals for the dishwasher. This is the cheapest and most accessible detergent for PMM, which dissolves very quickly and easily in water. As disadvantages, housewives note the difficult dosage, not the most convenient loading method, as well as the fact that some types of powder are not suitable for certain types of dishwashers.

Additionally, we note that most powders do not contain the required amount of salt, which is why salt granules will have to be purchased separately. And if you try to make do with a powder with a minimum salt content, the dishwasher may fail after just six months of active use. Also, powders sometimes contain insufficient rinse aid, so the dishes will be left with soapy stains afterwards.

Finally, as a minus you need to indicate a possible allergic reaction. An allergy can occur in a situation where powder remains on the dishes, or a person accidentally inhales these household chemicals.At the same time, you won’t be able to store the powder for a long time and buy it for future use, because it absorbs moisture well and hardens, which makes its use almost impossible. Therefore, if the owner of a PMM decides to use the powder, then it is better to pour it into a separate container with a tight lid immediately after purchase.

Briquetted products

Now let's look at household chemicals for the dishwasher in the form of tablets - the most popular detergent. Housewives so often choose it because it simultaneously contains special salt, detergents, and rinse agents. This allows the tablets to perfectly wash dishes and take care of household appliances at the same time.

Choose modern tablets for PMM, as they dissolve in water much better than the first versions of this type of product.

The tablets are also very easy to use, because you don’t need to measure them with a special measuring cup and then carefully pour them into the powder receptacle. Because of this, the tablet cannot be accidentally scattered or inhaled like a bulk product. Briquetting products always effectively remove even stubborn dirt, while at the same time keeping the “home assistant” in perfect condition.

As a disadvantage, it is worth highlighting that such household chemicals are much more expensive than powder. Also, due to the phosphates in the tablets, they can cause an allergic reaction. It is also impossible to separate the tablets into components and use them separately, for example, if the salt granules are already loaded into the corresponding hopper. Finally, this detergent may simply not have time to dissolve if the user has selected the fast wash mode.

Liquid product

Household chemicals in the form of a gel are considered the most economical, safe and easy to use. Using a gel-like product, you can easily soften hard tap water and wash silver cutlery and porcelain dishes. The soft composition of the gel does not contain abrasives, so it does not cause an allergic reaction, does not scratch dishes, dissolves extremely quickly and effectively cleans even old stains.

The gentle product is easy to dose and add to the special compartment. And due to the speed of dissolution, the gel can be used even on the shortest working cycles. It can also be used to pre-soak dishes.

Its composition does not cause allergies due to the fact that it does not contain phosphates and volatile components, unlike powdered products. It is enough to choose a gel with a pH of 4.5 and make sure that it contains rinse aid and special salt for the dishwasher, which not every liquid product contains.

You can also opt for hard capsules, which contain everything the same as the gel. At the same time, capsule products additionally prevent the appearance of scale, plaque and mold on the internal components of the dishwasher. However, you will have to pay extra for this, since capsules are sometimes even more expensive than tablets.

What to wash dishes with?

You can find a quality product in any of the four categories if you spend time searching and analyzing popular products. We have selected four excellent options that will please any housewife, regardless of her preferences and the size of the family budget.

• “Fairy Platinum PLUS all in 1” capsules 21 pieces, 0.38 kilograms - this is one of the most expensive, but most highly rated products, because these capsules on the Yandex.Market aggregator received a high rating of 4.8 out of 5 based on 1013 user ratings . At the moment, the product can be purchased for $6, that is, approximately $0.3 per capsule, but there are also large packages to choose from, purchasing which the cost of one piece will be much lower. This dishwasher detergent in a completely water-soluble shell immediately contains everything necessary for the working cycle - a detergent, rinse aid and salt, which is enough for perfect dishwashing and gentle care for your “household helper”. Household chemicals allow you to clean dishes even at low washing temperatures, without leaving streaks on items. The capsules do not contain chlorine and phosphates, but there are special protective components that prevent the formation of scale on filters and in the PMM drainage system, and also do not harm glass and silver objects.
• Finish Classic gel 1 liter received an average rating of 4.6 from 328 Yandex users and currently sells for $4 per bottle, but you can find better deals with a larger volume of detergent. It is convenient to use, because you can choose different dosages depending on the degree of soiling of the dishes and the load of the washing chamber. It dissolves quickly in water and ideally removes any dirt even in fast working cycles. On average, the product is enough for about 33 washes, which depends on the dosage used. For best results, the manufacturer recommends using the gel at a temperature of 50-55 degrees Celsius, or an automatic operating cycle.
• Biodegradable tablets “Synergetic Eco” 25 pieces, 0.8 kilograms were rated by as many as 4,354 users on Yandex.Market, who awarded the product a high rating of 4.7. The product of this popular brand can now be purchased for $4, while there are also more economical options, which contain 50, 100 and even 300 tablets at once. This biodegradable detergent perfectly removes the most difficult stains, dissolves stubborn grease, and also gives dishes a bright shine. The tablets do not leave streaks or limescale, they eliminate unpleasant odors, and also prevent the formation of scale on the machine. They can be used without adding salt with rinse aid, so this is a great way to save the family budget allocated for household chemicals.

Manufacturers of household appliances recommend adding salt granules separately when the user's locality has very hard tap water, so the salt from the tablet or capsule may not be enough to regenerate the ion exchange resin.

• Powder “Somat Classic” 3 kilograms was excellently rated 4.9 points by 2255 Yandex users - the highest score in our selection today. The product is sold at a price of $8, which makes it also the cheapest of all household chemicals presented. The manufacturer uses a strong formula with a soda effect, which allows you to eliminate stubborn dirt, grease, old stains and much more, plus, it does not leave streaks on tableware, as well as traces of tea and coffee. Citrus powder completely dissolves in water in a short time, it is easy to dose, selecting the right amount for a specific dish.Therefore, this detergent can be used even for daily washing, selecting the minimum dosage for several sets of dirty dishes.

As you can see, you don’t have to settle on just one type of household chemicals, because a good option can be found in any category. The main thing is to find the optimal detergent for the family, based on the composition, hardness of tap water, frequency of use of the dishwasher, family budget, etc.

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